Strategic shift• The VDP is a strategic shift by FIOH from

sectoral to an integrated approach• Sectoral objectives to a common objective,

thus the slogan; “Education for All through Village

Development”• Focus is still on education, But it is now…Linked to wider development for greater

impact and sustainability

Community Problems

• Problems coming out from the communities are many and interlinked

• They fall mainly within the following; a. weak community institutions, b. low literacy and awareness levels c. degrading environment,

d. low household income, e. inadequate food in communities, f. inadequate water, g. poor health • These problems can directly or

indirectly impact negatively on education

Integrated Approach

• The above manifestations of poverty in the communities shows the predicament of the rural communities

• Our approach therefore requires an integrated approach where all units have a role to play

• The communities have a leading role to play in the process

• Bottom-top/participatory approach

Challenges of Development work

• Past failures in development work• Ineffective approaches e.g. Top-down • Tendency of creating a dependency

syndrome instead of independence• continuous search for effective approaches• One conclusion is ‘there is the need for

Participatory planning with communities; use of participatory tools’

• Communities taking the lead in the process

VDP, Planning to Implementation

• PRA• A Participatory analyses and Planning

Process• Collection of demographic data• Problem Analyses and develop Action

Plan• Action plan, basis for VDP intervention• Instills community ownership and

enhances sustainable development

Way Forward

• Ultimate direction is to hand over the development process to the communities; to take charge or control their own development process

• Strengthening and empowering community institutions through capacity building and support is key in the process